Assembly elections: PM Modi appeals to MP, Mizoram voters

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to the people of Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram to participate in large numbers as polling got underway in both states. "I urge all voters in the state to take part in democracy's biggest festival with full enthusiasm and to vote in huge numbers," Modi tweeted to Madhya Pradesh voters. "I request my sisters and brothers of Mizoram, particularly the dynamic youth of the state, to turnout in large numbers and vote," he said. Polling for the 230 seat Madhya Pradesh Assembly and 40-member Mizoram Assembly was underway amid tight security and would continue till 5 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, is seeking a fourth consecutive term. Except for 10 years -- 1998-2003 and 2003-2008 -- the Congress has been in power in Mizoram since it became a full-fledged state in 1987. Votes will be counted on December 11 along with three other poll-bound states -- Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh.